Former Australian captain Michael Clarke lauded Indian opener Rohit Sharma for his ability to pull off aerial shots from the get-go, similar to Adam Gilchrist. Rohit is the seventh-leading ODI scorer with 12,028 runs at an average of over 49 and a strike rate of 93.28, including 35 centuries as well. However, Rohit is also the only batter in international cricket with three ODI double centuries, including the highest-ever ODI score of 264 as well.

Talking about Rohit Sharma, Clarke said on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast: “He (Rohit) takes on the short ball and is as good as anyone. His intent is a little bit like Adam Gilchrist in terms of being comfortable hitting the ball in the air consistently early in his innings. I don’t think Rohit gets enough credit for how good a white-ball opening batter he has been.”

“Rohit is in the conversation for my favourite opener in ODIs. Virat is the best ODI player I’ve ever seen. He owns that hands down, especially the way he wins games in chases. But Rohit is not far behind, opening the batting and the way he plays in all conditions,” he shared.

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Former England spinner Monty Panesar also questioned the value of Team India captain Shubman Gill’s unbeaten double century in the second ODI against the West Indies, with the 2027 World Cup set to be played in South Africa as well.

“With the World Cup in South Africa, you ask the question if this is good preparation for the Indian batters? It was breathtaking batting and power-hitting by Shubman Gill, and everyone was going, ‘Wow, what an incredible talent he is’. But then you kind of look at the other side and ask if that’s ideal preparation for the surfaces he’s going to face in South Africa, and the answer is probably not,” said Panesar.